This invention relates to a unitary in-line fuseholder having integral wire securing mechanisms for ensuring secure and strain-free electrical contact between conductive wires and electrical contacts in the fuseholder.
One prior art fuseholder is disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 2,816,193. The device disclosed therein consists of a housing having two openings for permitting passage of individual electrical conductors, respectively, through each opening into the housing. Inside the housing are two contact members which are V-shaped for having the conductors wedge into the V-portion thereof to establish electrical contact by piercing of the conductor insulation. A cap holds a fuse clip which connects to the contacts when secured to the housing. This assembly includes a number of disadvantages in that it is complicated in structure, difficult to assemble and when opened, allows a user to touch the conductor/contact connection thereby exposing the user to a risk of shock.
Another prior art fuseholder assembly is generally illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,612 and is comprised of a body having an integrally formed unitary hinge portion. The body member includes a pair of slots for passing wires into the fuseholder. A conductive contact is brought down onto the wires to establish electrical contact. Like the above-discussed prior art, this device also includes disadvantages in that precise positioning of the wires is sometimes difficult to achieve and may require extensive manual manipulation. In addition, as above, a danger of accidental electrical shock exists.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,822 generally describes an insulation severing contact of the type wherein conductors are wedged into the slots of the contact for establishing electrical contact. The fuseholder of this invention employs a contact similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,822, but the contact of the fuseholder of the invention also includes a number of features not taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,822 which facilitate establishing of the electrical connection.